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From:		Erika Lavoie	9/24/2008 12:54:02 PM
Subject:	Observation
To:		Dana Newton
Cc:		cook@msmary.edu

Dana-

  First, thank you so much for letting me come to your room to observe today your reading groups.  Your students are so tiny in comparison to mine!  And so cute!  It is easy to forget that there is a stage where the students are still excited about learning and school and today was very rewarding in that department. 

  To reiterate what we discussed after... 

  Things I really liked seeing:
Modeling finger touch of words
reminding students of purpose of reading
correction of misconception of exclamation point
use of expression to help with understanding punctuation
lots of praise and compliments - great reading, like how you're following with your finger, kiss your brain (never heard that one before!)
redirection of one student who did not finger touch words and getting her back on track
word building activity - great for encoding and decoding strategies
segmenting words - both modeled and practiced by students and then independently to take ownership
creation of sorting activity on the computer in kidspiration

  Suggestions:
use of tape recorder for students to tape themselves reading, listen back to it and hear their own expression and "catch" any mistakes
I know you were pressed for time, but explaining what they were to do in the computer prior to them getting into the program

Overall, you have the groups well put together and the students all work well together.  They use their words very nicely and are engaged in the activity - all a credit to you and getting them excited about reading!  We did discuss the possibility of moving the one boy up to the next reading group.  He's doing a superb job and shining in the one group and could probably use the challenge of the next higher group.  Keep up the good work!

Erika LaVoie
10th Grade LS Teacher & Reading Content
Gettysburg High School
1130 Old Harrisburg Road
Room B229
Gettysburg,  PA  17325
717-334-6254 ext. 6142
elavoie@gettysburg.k12.pa.us 

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